
October 9, 2004
Other, Traveling
Question from Summit, Missouri, USA:
My 15 year old diabetic son will be traveling to Japan for a week with a school group and will be staying in the home of a Japanese student. We tried to obtain a medical identification bracelet in Japanese but were unsuccessful. We will, of course, make certain that his chaperones and the family he is staying with are well versed in the issues. But, we are looking for any suggestions for his stay there for trying to make sure that anyone else he might happen to be around in an emergency situation would know of his condition.
Answer:
What a great experience for your son. Here are several links to assist with traveling with diabetes. See I Have Diabetes and Traveling With Diabetes.
BS
[Editor’s comment: You may wish to see if a local language school, such as Berlitz, can provide you with a brief, written document, in Japanese, for your son to carry along on the trip. There should be a Berlitz or other type school in St. Louis or Kansas City.
BH]